Factors Influencing the Use of Herbal Medicines in Public Health
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Abstract
To foster independence and cut costs, Thai traditional medicine and herbs are becoming more well-known within Thailand's healthcare system. Nonetheless, Pathum Thani Province's use of herbal medicines remains lower than the national average, highlighting a discrepancy between policy and reality, especially in areas such as Keha Rangsit Khlong Hok. Factors associated with the use of herbal medicines for self-care include personal factors, predisposing factors, enabling factors, and reinforcing factors. A survey study was carried out. A survey with an Item-Objective Congruence index of 0.92 was used to randomly select 318 residents (aged 20–59) from Keha Rangsit Khlong Hok, Pathum Thani Province. Chi-square tests and descriptive statistics were used to assess the data; (3) Results: Use of herbal medicine was low (mean 1.55), despite moderate to high attitudes (mean 3.44) and knowledge (46% high). There was a substantial (p<0.05) correlation between usage and occupation, marital status, and gender; (4) Conclusions: Effective promotion strategies are needed to bridge the gap between the community's knowledge and attitudes on herbal medicine and its actual use.
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